Vacation Miscommunication
by tallblondeandserious
Summary: Minori's told Elise that she's leaving for vacation, expecting that news will spread quickly across town. Soon enough, everyone knows: that is, except for a certain chef who just so happens to discover she's left after her boat has sailed away. Minori's disappointed that Raeger didn't show up to see her off. Raeger's surprised Minori didn't tell him. What now? Minori/Annie x Raeger
1. And So it Begins

The boat sails steadily away from the amicable little town where Minori has lived for the past two years. The place is now so far away that if she is to put her thumb in front of it, she'll cover it completely.

She blinks slowly, as the gentle sea breeze lifts her soft golden hair, pushing it towards her face as she continues to watch the waves and the growing distance between her and Oak Tree Town…her home.

Practically all of the villagers came to see her off earlier that morning, though even she couldn't hide her disappointment at the lack of a certain chef. She was crestfallen as she walked onto the boat, though she tried her best to look happy and smile.

She misses the townspeople, her dearest friends, but her heart aches with longing for only one person. She wants to believe that he feels the same, but if he did, why didn't he come talk to her, or at the very least see her off? It's Wednesday, his day off.

She has run various scenarios through her head, and so far she's come up with:

\- Maybe he was just enjoying his day off.

\- Maybe he forgot about her departure.

\- Maybe he was hanging out with his fangirls…

\- Maybe he didn't care enough to come.

That last thought hits her harder than she expected, and she tries her best to think optimistically, as she always does, though she feels her heart begin to sink.

 _Pull yourself together, Minori! You are going on a vacation of sorts, anyway. Just take a deeeeeeeep breath, and calm down. You're on vacation. You're allowed to relax._

She reminisces on the last time she'd seen him, and realizes she hasn't spoken to him for two or three days. She'd been packing, and had planned to go visit, but then, she got a knock at her door…

Minori had entrusted Elise with her secret—not by choice, of course. Needless to say, it didn't stay a secret for long.

 _Elise had waltzed in while Minori had been packing, and refused to leave until Minori explained what was going on._

 _"Tell meeee, Minori! I'll do anything!" she had whined repeatedly for 15 minutes or so._

 _Minori had wanted to pull out any of her handy-dandy tools and made_ _ **excellent**_ _use of them. During Elise's visit all she could think about was bonking the girl in pink on the head with a watering can._

 _She'd smiled to herself at the thought, though she knew she wouldn't (more like couldn't) ever do that, since Elise would probably sue her or something like that, or at the very least never speak to her again. The last thing she needed was more stuff on her mind._

 _She'd finished packing quickly since she worked without rest. Her boat would leave on Wednesday – two days from then. She'd left her farm to Elise, who did say she'd do anything to know about Minori's departure, and who'd care for her animals and the couple of crops left growing in the field._

 _Several people had stopped by to say goodbye: Otmar to tell her to travel safely, Lillie to give her best friend a huge hug before departure, Iris to gently pat her as she held her head in her hands wondering what she was doing with her life, Marian to give her advice on how to lure in some attractive men on her voyage, and Fritz…who had dropped by asking if he could take crops from the farm while Minori was gone. To that, she gave a small smile and then abruptly closed the door. Fritz was a good friend, but even friends have to have certain un-crossable boundaries. Besides, she knew Fritz would find his way into her fields somehow…_

News had ended up spreading like wildfire, and soon enough practically everyone knew and came to see her off. That is, aside from the handsome young chef that had her going head over heels (literally, though thats a story for another time). She always radiated around him. He made her heart want to burst out of her chest and leap around in circles and run free in fields of happiness and glee.

Oh goodness. She was in too deep.

"Good thing I'm on vacation," she muttered.

* * *

He had no idea why nobody had been coming into the restaurant for the past few days. The place was practically deserted save for the occasional group of fangirls who came by to stare in awe.

Today, a particularly obnoxious group of girls showed up, even though it was his day off: they sat down at the counter and demanded selfies with Raeger. He'd refused every single time they'd asked, though one managed to sneak one while he was cleaning the counter. He still had no idea why he hadn't asked them to leave already. Today was his day off, after all…Goddess, what a bunch of creeps those chicks were. He put his mind toward getting the coffee stain out of the counter.

It was the moment after the creepy girls left that Fritz had burst into the door, screaming at Raeger that he was super sad now that Minori had gone. He flung his hands about, wondering who would hang out with him now.

Raeger had to forcibly put his hand over Fritz's mouth to get him to shut up. Fritz looked up at him with wide, confused eyes.

"…Minori left?" Raeger asked, disbelievingly.

"Mmph! Mph mph mph mph mppph mph!" Fritz replied, to which Raeger rolled his eyes and let go of his mouth.

"Her boat left this morning, Raeger!" Fritz yelled, flinging his arms even more crazily than before.

"...what?" Raeger looked at him in disbelief, as he turned his head towards the door.

 _Minori and I are good friends...wouldn't she tell me if she was leaving?_

Raeger then decided that had to find Minori, to convince himself that she hadn't actually left.

By the time he had reached the farm, he was out of breath but still determined to push forward. He noticed a blonde figure in the distance, and breathed a sigh of relief as he jogged up to her.

He closed his eyes in sudden relief, panting as he reached up to put a hand on her shoulder, but she turned around before he could, her green eyes scanning him quickly before raising an eyebrow.

 _I'm so glad she's still here,_ he thought. _What would I have done if she weren't?_

"…something you need, Raeger?"

 _Huh?_

He opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face not with Minori, but with Elise. His eyes widened in shock, and the awkward hand he still had up in the air was suddenly brought down to his side as he stepped back.

"…erm, hey, Elise. Do…do you know where Minori is?"

She uncrossed her arms, though her eyebrow still remained raised.

"Last time I saw her, she was getting on a boat to…ah, where was it? Sunshine Islands? Wait, no…maybe it was Mineral Town? I don't remember…"

His heart tightened in his chest. _So Fritz was right after all…_

He thanked Elise and headed to the restaurant. He locked the doors, walked upstairs, and ran his hand through his hair as he wondered why nobody had told him. Why he hadn't heard. Why Minori hadn't just told him herself.

He ended up with several possibilities:

\- Maybe she was just enjoying spending her days alone.

\- Maybe she forgot to tell him about her departure.

\- Maybe she was too busy packing…

\- Maybe she didn't care enough to let him know.

He felt stupid for not going to see her: he had noticed that she hadn't dropped by in 3 days. He should've gone to her, he should've made sure she was okay, he should've gently hugged her, should've kissed her right then and there…

 _Oh jeez. Here I go again daydreaming. Get back to reality, Raeger._

For a moment, he'd forgotten that she'd left, as he thought of her. Her honey-colored hair, her fantastic hazel eyes that appeared golden in the sunlight, and would glow brighter with every captivating word she said, the tiny freckles lining her upper cheeks…

Her cute button nose, her pale yet creamy complexion, her light pink lips…

Her tall, lanky form, her lean, thin fingers, her calm, cool but clumsy demeanor…

Her way of being elegant, intelligant, and radiant...

She was just so beautiful.

He was going to miss her more and more with every second that she was away.

The thought frightened him.

* * *

 **So, how was that? This is actually my first time writing HM fanfiction! Hopefully I'll be able to contribute to the fandom :D Please R &R!**


	2. Welcome to Mineral Town!

"Minori!" a blonde girl cried from the dock.

She'd finally reached her first destination: Mineral Town. One of her best friends, Claire, had been living here for the past 4 years. Minori practically knocked Claire over as she ran off the boat to hug her friend. They wove their fingers together and jumped around in circles, squealing.

"I have soooo much to tell you, Nori! Guess what?"

Minori took one look at Claire and knew instantly.

"You got married to Gray?"

"How'd you know?" Claire fake-pouted.

"It's like you guys were made for each other! You guys are great together!" Minori said happily (though really the only reason she knew Claire was married was because of the ring on her finger).

"But how could you be so sure that I wasn't in love with someone like…Rick?"

Both girls looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Remind me to tease Karen about him, Claire." Minori said once the laughter had died down. "So, are you gonna show me your farm or what?"

"Oh, right!" Claire said as she grabbed one of Minori's bags, and they walked away from the beach.

Soon enough, they'd reached the farm, where Minori saw what appeared to be Gray playing with Claire's dog, Biscuit.

Minori's eyes grew wide as she looked around Claire's enormous farm; she certainly had done a lot of good work in the past 4 years that she'd lived there.

"Planning to have a bunch of children, are we?" Minori teased as both Gray and Claire turned red. Claire's house was wayyyy bigger than before, and looked like it'd be able to hold tons and tons of little blond-haired blue-eyed babies. The thought made Minori giggle.

"Oh, wow, Claire! Your tomatoes certainly are very red this year!" Minori broke out into a laugh as she squeezed Claire's crimson cheeks.

"Quit teasing us, Minori! I'm sure you have a special someone, too! I hear Oak Town is full of attractive young gents…" Claire winked as Gray scowled. "Don't worry, Gray. You're the only one for me!" She pecked Gray on the lips, to which he smiled and pulled his hat down.

"So…are we gonna go eat dinner?" Gray asked awkwardly.

"You can cook, Gray?" Minori's eyes widened in surprise.

"You can cook?" Claire questioned innocently while looking at Gray with teasing blue eyes, and Gray just rolled his eyes and smiled.

"You guys are legitimately the cutest couple I have ever seen. I can just imagine how adorable your babies will be!" Minori squealed. Claire and Gray were once again tomatoes.

They headed inside to enjoy Gray's supposedly delicious dinner and to catch up on all of the events in the previous years.

Minori couldn't sleep at all, despite the calm, quiet atmosphere around her. She'd tossed and turned for what seemed like hours, though she got no closer to slumber.

She got up off the couch quietly and walked over to the kitchen, where she poured herself a glass of water and sat down behind the counter.

"You know, when you can't fall asleep, it means someone's thinking about you…"

A gentle voice appeared from behind Minori, and she turned to see a pajama-clad Claire smiling gently at her.

"Wanna tell me about it, Nori?"

Minori nodded slightly and gestured for Claire to take a seat next to her.

"I'm going crazy over this one guy, Raeger. I've been afraid to confront him about my feelings, though I can _feel_ the connection between us. We've done so much stuff together, it feels like I've known him forever. "

"Are you insane, Minori?! There's a cute guy who you've bonded with that you haven't claimed yet?! If you feel the connection, it must be there!"

"I guess so, but he's so popular amongst the ladies. They flock over to his restaurant and gawk at him constantly…plus, what if he just likes me as a friend?"

"Minori, you're just as shy and stubborn as ever. Worst case scenario, you'll find a man in Mineral Town. (wink, wink)"

"A man…like Rick?"

Both girls burst into laughter; Rick was not the most graceful nor attractive male, though Karen seemed to have a liking for him. Lucky Rick.

"Anyway, you're right, Claire. I'll tell him once I get back."

"Good decision. Now then, tell me the details of all the "stuff" you've done together."

* * *

Raeger can't help but think of all the encounters they've shared.

There was that time when Minori walked in craving something sweet, and Raeger had offered her his new strawberry cake. Minori had taken a careful bite before freezing and biting her lip. Raeger wondered if she had been poisoned before she just about jumped out of her seat saying that it needed lemon.

"Of course!" Raeger brought his hand to his forehead. "I forgot the lemon glaze!"

After the cake had been properly glazed, Minori had practically inhaled the whole thing, Raeger had complimented her ability to recognize tastes and her understanding of food.

"Glad to know you like my taste buds, Raeger!" She waved as she walked toward the door, and even stuck her tongue out as she left. "Thanks again for the cake!"

It's a sweet memory (ha, ha), and he doesn't realize he's already cleaned the entire kitchen.

* * *

"It was a really, really good cake, Claire. He's a really great chef..."

"He sounds dreamy. Is he handsome, too?"

"You betcha. He's got light chestnut hair that is constantly ruffled in a way that makes him absolutely marvelous, and green-blue eyes that sparkle like the sea, and he's tall, and he's smart, and he's caring, and he's just wow and-"

"Why. The. Heck. Is. He. Not. Your. Boyfriend. Yet."

Minori blushed, and it was Claire's turn to call her a tomato. Claire laughed for a bit, and the girls parted ways as they headed to sleep.

Minori's dreams were absolutely lovely that night.

Minori and Claire got to work on taking care of the farm early in the morning, despite Claire's complaints. Minori focused on the crops, while Claire tended to the animals. They were done rather quickly, so they decided to invite all the Mineral Town gals to the Inn, for a nice lunch.

Minori gave Karen, Popuri and Ann huge hugs. She didn't know Elli and Mary too well, so they greeted one another through handshakes. Of course, the topic that all the girls wanted to talk about was the crazy little thing called love. Karen spoke all about her dearest Rick, Popuri about her secret meetings with Kai when Karen had Rick distracted, and Ann about the nature-loving Cliff. Elli blushed at the mention of Doctor, and Mary was too caught up reading a book to say anything at all (though Minori suspected that Harris was her special someone).

When it came Minori's turn to talk about the Oak Town guys, she blushed and said she was still looking for the right guy. The Mineral Town girls were nice enough not to ask any further, though Karen whispered into Popuri's ear, and Popuri suddenly squealed.

"Minori, we're going to set you up on a blind date!"

 _Oh dear._


	3. A Date in Mineral Town

CHAPTER THREE: A Date in Mineral Town

(Minori's POV)

It took 3 hours to get ready for the blind date. 3 WHOLE HOURS. Karen had been working on my hair, Elli on my makeup, Ann on my clothing, Mary on my jewelry, and Popuri and Claire kind of supervised the whole thing until the pink-haired girl left to go get my date.

I honestly hadn't even wanted to go on a date, and Claire knew that.

I wasn't ready to go out with some stranger, but when they finally let me look in the mirror, my thoughts changed completely.

My hair had been put up in a neat ponytail that swirled as it went down. The makeup was pretty light, which I appreciated. The outfit was probably my favorite part, a cute blue dress with darker lace trim. It had sleeves, and it wasn't too short or long, so I'd be comfy wearing it. The shoes I wore were simple, shiny silver sandal-heels, which I was actually able to walk in! My flower-shaped earrings and bracelet tied it all together: they had silver outlines and blue gemstones in the middle. I actually thought I looked great!

Working on the farm 24/7 had led me to forget what it meant to dress up nicely...

Was I being selfish? All this time I had been the center of attention, and everyone had been doing nice things for me. How was I supposed to repay them?

I was pushed out of my thoughts once Popuri came back, and all of a sudden I was being ushered into the Inn once again. I was glaring at Popuri and the rest of the girls as I sat down at the table, though I don't think they noticed. I looked in front of me, only to be met by the disinterested gaze of...Won the salesman? My eyebrows rose, and I glanced back at the other girls, who had attempted to hide themselves in the darkest corner of the Inn.

I turned back to Won.

"Hi! My name's Minori. You must be Won, right?"

"Yes, that's me. Who are you?"

 _I just told you my name..._

"Minori Annabelle Yocono Sawyer, from Oak Tree Town. I'm a farmer there."

"Oooooh, I like farmer girls. Very strong, very powerful, very _profitable_."

 _Did he just say...profitable? Uh, okay..._

"Heh...so, uh, do you have any hobbies?"

 _I'm not good at making conversation..._

"I like to sit at home and count my apples and sort them repeatedly. Then I wonder about what I will do once I am filthy rich..." He gave a snicker as he drifted off into daydreaming.

 _RED ALERT, RED ALERT! Well, this is a disaster._

"Excuse me just a moment, Won."

He was too busy in his daydream to notice Minori had said anything.

Minori walked to the dark corner, where she plopped herself down and whisper-yelled "This is the bachelor you thought would suit me?!"

The girls all burst out into a fit of giggles.

"We only get to see you every couple of years; let us have our fun while you're around!" Karen said as she smiled.

"You know life in town gets boring, Min. Plus, you're so cute when you're flustered!" said Ann.

"Was...was I the only one who thought this was actually a real date?" Popuri asked quietly, cheeks ablaze.

"Well, that makes two of us, Popuri!" Minori smiled, and everyone else giggled once more.

Minori had an idea all of a sudden.

"Don't worry, maybe I can still salvage this!"

Minori walked over to the jukebox at the end of the room.

 _When'd they get a jukebox?_ Minori wondered, but thanked her sense of observation nonetheless.

She blew on it, and the dust came flying off. She pushed the first neon button she saw, and pulled Won into the center of the inn. He wasn't a great dancer, but then again, neither was she. She was just having fun, even though she probably looked like a clumsy moose.

Karen watched with an eyebrow raised (though she was grinning from ear to ear).

Ann spun in time with the music, wandering all over the inn until she tripped over the counter and landed on the other side. She gave a huge laugh when Elli tried to help her up but fell over as well.

Mary watched, mouth agape, marveling at how easily Minori could just pull someone onto a dance floor. After a minute or so of pondering, she went back to her romance novel, which had just reached its most intense point.

Popuri watched in childish glee at everything going on, though she soon floated onto the dance floor, imagining she was dancing with her beloved Kai.

Claire had pulled her cellphone out a while ago and had recorded everything that had just happened. Ann and Elli falling over a counter was pure gold, and a video of Minori dancing like a maniac was worth twice as much! Claire was feeling super satisfied with herself, and made a note of what a great best friend she was.

Eventually, Minori dragged the other girls into the center with her, and they all sort of let loose.

Minori felt like she was floating, twirling with the other girls.

Her dress lifted like a flower when she spun, and Minori felt like a child again.

She'd always loved dancing in the field beside her uncle's house, where the wild grass bent gently and the tiny stream danced over pebbles. She'd sit in that field for hours, weaving flower headbands and catching tadpoles.

The inn was looking livelier than it had for a long time, and Minori remembered why she had enjoyed Mineral Town the first time she had visited.

Swirling with Claire and all her other friends while great music played in the background (80's music for the win!) had her loving her vacation more and more.

After a couple of drinks and even watching Karen dance with Won, the girls were ready to call it a night.

Minori hugged and thanked each and every one of them, since she would depart soon and tomorrow was reserved for hiking with Gray and Claire.

Claire and Minori walked home together, when Claire stated that she still had a gift for Minori.

"It isn't another bad date, is it?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "No, Nori. I mean an actual present!"

Minori smiled and said that she had a present to give Claire as well.

When they reached the farmhouse, Claire pulled out a tiny box and gently placed it into Minori's hands. Just as Minori was about to open it, Claire smacked her hand away.

"No way, Minori! You can't open this until you get home!"

"But whyyyyyyy?"

"You'll see when you open it! Be sure to call me when you do! Gray and I both put effort into it! "

"Hmph...I will..."

"Oh, cheer up, Nori! It'll be worth it for sure!"

Minori handed Claire the gift she'd brought from Oak Town, a pack of Golden Seeds (at which Claire almost fainted), and then a box wrapped with a pretty blue bow.

Claire opened it with careful hands and curious eyes, and when she saw what was inside, she practically killed Minori while jumping to hug her.

"You made this yourself, Minori! It's so perfect! Ahhhhhh I love you!"

It was a beautiful Bluebell dress, perfect for casual wear or any sort of get-together – and it was her favorite color! The fabric was soft and comfy, and Claire could not contain her happiness as she blabbered on and on about how she'd been needing something like this forever because there were no good clothing stores here and blah blah.

Minori listened along happily, swaying back and forth like she did when she was happy.

"Oh, I brought something for Gray, too! Lucky for me you guys are married or else this would have been really awkward to deliver..."

She pulled a Moonstone out of her bag.

Minori walked into the kitchen, where Gray had been scrolling through some tool website.

"Here you go, Gray! I'm not the best at mining, so this isn't the best ore, but it's the most I could do..."

"These things are impossible to get around here!" Gray half-smiled (which was a lot given that this was Gray we were talking about), and Minori, Gray, and Claire talked about the struggles of mining for a while, though that conversation shifted into teasing, joking around, and having a great time as friends.

 **Hey, everyone!**

 **I'd like to apologize for my disappearance off the face of this planet, but I've been busy with a whole ton of stuff and will hopefully be able to update more often now.**

 **I'd also like to apologize for my formatting, because I have no idea how this formatting thingy works at the moment, but as I continue to publish I'll continue to learn :) In the future I'll probably come back and fix all these formatting issues :P**

 **Anyway, thanks so much for the encouraging reviews, Robotkitty5848 and happy sunshine! 3**

 **If you're reading, please review! They make my day and help me to improve my writing!**


	4. Hiking, Waving, and Sleeping

**CHAPTER FOUR:** Hiking, Waving, and Sleeping

Minori and the rest of the gang were up bright and early that day (mostly because of Biscuit but also because they were all excited to go hiking and picnicking).

Nori had made sandwiches, Claire had made baked corn and salads, and Gray had come up with some sort of concoction that he dubbed 'The Blacksmith's Blitheness.'

Minori had to open a dictionary to find out what blitheness even meant (a feeling of spontaneous good spirits), and she figured that all the time Gray had spent at the library before he'd started dating Claire had paid off.

The picnic basket was all set, and the crew set out for Mother's Hill. Claire's dog, Biscuit, trailed along happily, wagging his tiny tail.

They crossed the bridge out of the farm, entering the forest with its multiple paths.

Pretty soon, they had reached the bottom of Mother's Hill, and Minori was itching to reach the top. She wanted to check out the herbs that Doctor was constantly talking about, since the medicine was supposed to be incredible in treating stamina and fatigue. Think of how much more work she could do if she could replenish her energy so easily!

She was interrupted by Gray suddenly calling out for Biscuit.

 _Darn it, why are my sweet reveries always interrupted?!_

Biscuit was running away at the speed of light, barking while doing so.

"Oh, what is that dog chasing now?" Claire scowled.

"Don't worry, Claire! I'll go after Biscuit; you and Gray can head up the mountain. I'll be up there with Biscuit in a jiffy."

"Are you sure, Nori? You could get lost in the forest, you know. I've lived here for almost 5 years now, and I still don't know how to get around that place!"

"Don't be a worry-wart, Claire! I'll just use my _natural sense of direction!_ " Minori lifted her chin.

Claire's eyebrows raised, and Gray squinted in a sarcastic sort of way.

"Oh, come on, you guys! I can handle this! I've only gotten lost in a forest a couple of times! I've gotten better at navigating, I promise! Plus, if you wait any longer, Biscuit will have run to the other side of the planet!"

Claire and Gray glanced at each other, and Gray finally sighed.

"Go ahead, Minori. Just don't expect us to come find you when you get hopelessly lost."

"I know, Gray. You two will be having lovey-dovey time with each other while I'm gone!" Minori wiggled her eyebrows. "See you later, tomatoes!"

With that, she was off chasing Biscuit.

"She sure is something, isn't she, Gray?"

"Yep."

"So, are we gonna hike to the top of this mountain or what?"

"You bet, only this time don't make me carry you after you fall and hurt yourself."

 __"Oh, please. That was like, one time."

"One time too many."

"I thought you loved me, Gray! ~~~"

Claire fake-fainted into Gray's arms, to which he smirked and heaved her over his shoulder like she was a sack of fertilizer.

"Hey!" Claire laughed as Gray continued to walk.

Gray chuckled as well, finally putting her down and taking her hand in his. Claire pecked Gray on the cheek, to which he blushed like he always did. The rest of the walk up the mountain was full of pointless chatter and laughter.

Minori had lost sight of Biscuit, and now found herself in some unknown part of the forest.

She noticed a rustling in the bushes beside her, and she carefully crept to the source of the noise. She spread the leaves of the bush, and a tiny white bunny popped out, looking up at her with its cute little pink nose scrunching.

"Aww, look at you! So fluffy and cuuuuuuttttteeee!" Minori put her hands to her cheeks and marveled at the adorable fluffball in front of her.

She heard another rustle in the bushes, and then remembered Biscuit.

"Oh! That's probably Biscuit! Or maybe it's another bunny friend! Who am I even talking to?"

Minori crept to the bushes again, and just as she was about to part the leaves, a large man burst out, and Minori jumped back in surprise.

"Aaaaaack! Who the heck are you?! Are you the creepy ghost man that haunts this forest?! I thought you were just a story to keep me out of the forest as a child! Please don't take my soul! Waaaah!"

She grabbed a branch on the ground next to her and bonked the man on the head. The stick broke over his head and he stood over her, looking as though he was amused.

Minori's eyes widened in fear at first, though she raised an eyebrow as the man opened his mouth.

The laughter that came from the large man's mouth was enough to scare all of the birds out of the trees.

Once he had wiped the tears out of his eyes, the large man spoke.

"Young lady, you clearly don't live in this town! I'm the carpenter and builder of Mineral Town, Gotz. I'll probably have a lump from where you whacked me, but I'll forgive you because I haven't had such a great laugh in a while, har har!"

"Erm...I'm sorry for whacking you, Mr. Gotz, but what were you doing in that bush?"

"Foraging for food. This here is where the best bamboo shoots and grapes grow. What are you doin' out here by yourself?"

"I came to find Claire's dog, Biscuit. He ran off into the woods somewhere..."

"Oh, you're a friend of Claire's, eh? That girl's the kindest person I've ever met, and she can sure pack a punch! My meeting with her was similar to ours, har har."

 _He has to forage for food...  
_  
"I see...would you like to come to a picnic with me? Claire, her husband and I are having one at the top of Mother's Hill."

"That's quite alright, Miss. I'd rather not go to Mother's Hill, since I have bad memories of there...you young people go have fun."

"Well, alright. If you'll excuse me, I should probably keep looking for Biscuit. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gotz! I hope to see you around next time I'm in town!"

"It was nice to meet you too, Miss. You really are a nice young lady. Say, I never even caught your name!"

"Minori! I'll see you later!" Minori waved as she ran through the bushes Gotz came through.

 _That was terrifying! I feel bad for Gotz...I wonder what bad memories he had of this place. Now, where's Biscuit?_

Minori ran parallel to a river until she finally reached an opening where she could see Mother's Hill again. Biscuit was sitting on a tree stump, conveniently enough, so Minori scooped him up and started walking toward the mountain.

"You've been terrible, Biscuit! You can't just run away like that! You're supposed to be a grown-up dog, and grown-up dogs follow their owners!"

Biscuit whined in response, and Minori hugged him closer as she began the hike up Mother's Hill.

-

"Gray, do you ever want to have a child?"

He fell down the slope.

"Oh my gosh!" Claire cried as Gray slid down the rocky side of Mother's Hill.

She ran down the trail as fast as possible, watching him while she sprinted. He settled in a pile of sand and dust halfway down the mountain, and she was at his side in an instant as she wiped all of the dirt off of him.

He blinked his eyes open to see his wife inspecting his arms and legs for any cuts, sprains, or fractures.

"Gray! Does anything hurt? Are you feeling okay?"

He slowly moved his body in an attempt to stand, and succeeded.

"My butt's just a little sore from all the sliding, but other than that I think I'm okay." Gray took off his cap and shook all the sand off of it.

"I'm sorry for catching you off guard with my question, but I wasn't expecting you to fall down a mountain..." Claire buried her face in his chest.

"I wasn't expecting myself to fall down a mountain either, Claire-bear. I just started thinking so much about your question that I totally forgot I was supposed to be paying attention to my steps." Gray patted her back gently.

"Hey, Claire?"  
"What is it, Gray?"

"I wouldn't mind of bunch of blond-haired, blue-eyed children running around the farm."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, blacksmith. I said 'a child,' as in one for now." She looked up at him, smiling. "Though I don't think I'd mind, either."

"Gray, Claire! There you are! I thought you guys would be at the top of the mountain by now...were you taking your time or something?" Minori asked.

"We were almost at the top, but Gray slipped and we ended up down here."

"Good thing he didn't get hurt! Anyway, I found Biscuit!" Minori let Biscuit down and he ran over to his owner, wagging his tail and barking happily.

"Good work, Minori! Now, are we going to have this picnic or what?"

The rest of the day was spent frolicking in the flowery meadows, picking herbs, talking about Minori and Claire's encounters with Gotz, and eating the delicious food that they'd prepared.

Once they had finally gotten back to Claire's farm around dinnertime, Minori began to pack her stuff away since she was leaving in the morning.

The crew stayed up watching bad romcoms together, though the air was sad since friends hate to part.

Minori fell asleep on the couch halfway through the 4th movie, "Fate Means Rain." ===

Claire and Minori hugged for what seemed like forever, and Gray waved as she boarded the ship.

"If you forget to call me, I will hunt you down!" Claire yelled.

 _A mad Claire is a scary one...she's not kidding._

Minori had finally gotten Claire's new phone number, so they'd be able to talk more frequently and not just when she physically came to Mineral Town.

Claire and Gray continued to wave from shore even as the boat pushed away from shore, and Minori was sad again. She waved her hands frantically at Gray and Claire until she couldn't see Mineral Town Beach anymore.

She sank back into her seat on the boat and shut her eyes. It was going to be a long trip from here...

(Raeger's POV)

"Good afternoon, Raeger."

"Hey, Klaus. What can I get you?"

"Do you think you can make me some Bouillabaisse? I haven't eaten it for the longest time, since Minori has left...she drops by my home every now and then, but she always brings me a bowl of my beloved Bouillabaisse! She's a very kind person.."

"Bouillabaisse? Sure thing."

 _Is Minori that close with Klaus? She brings him his favorite dish all the time..._

"Say, Klaus, what is it you do with Minori when she drops by?"

 _Way to go being discreet, Raeger._

"Oh, we just talk over tea, really. She's a fascinating person once you really get into conversation with her."

 _She's the most incredible person I've ever met._

I hummed in response as I began to prepare the soup. It was a simple dish, really – only a fish was needed to make it. I opened the restaurant fridge in search of a fish, though I couldn't remember on what shelf I'd placed it. I scowled as I dug around the chilly interior.

"So, Raeger, when are you going to tell Minori you love her?"

 _Huh?_

"Ow!" I hit the back of my head on the top of the fridge trying to look at Klaus.

"Klaus, what makes you think that I am in love with Minori?"

"Raeger, I'm wiser than I appear. I know the look of a man in love; I experienced it myself when I was your age."

"Klaus, you're like 5 years older than me..."

"Not important at the moment." He waved his hand as if erasing the thought completely. "So, Raeger, how do you plan to declare your love?"

"Klaus, I don't know that she feels the same. She neglected to tell me that she was heading on vacation when basically everyone else in the town knew. I don't think that's a sign that she likes me back."

"Raeger, you look at things from the wrong perspective. Perhaps she was too nervous to face you; she's shy sometimes, you know. I refuse to believe that she has absolutely no romantic interest in you."

I got to work on that Bouillabaisse after I found the fish. While I chopped it up and put it in the pot, I thought about what Klaus had said.

 _"Hey, Raeger!" Minori had said in a sing-song voice as she'd walked into the restaurant._

 _She sat down at the counter and looked at me expectantly._

 _"Huh? Oh...welcome. Sorry, I'm just feeling a little...dizzy, is all." I had awoken that morning feeling awful, but I had opened up the restaurant anyway thinking that I'd get better as the day went on._

 _"Do you need me to get some medicine for you or something?" Minori immediately began to worry._

 _"No, I'm fine. I'll get over it soon. Anyway, what can I get you?" Her presence had encouraged me to keep going._

 _She ordered fried rice, one of her favorites. She ordered it frequently, actually._

 _I'm still not sure what was wrong with me that day, but I brought her curry rice. Minori doesn't like curry very much at all (not that she'd ever complain out loud)._

 __

 _She awkwardly looked at the plate and then back at me._

 _It finally hit me that I'd brought her the wrong dish, and I apologized profusely and offered to remake the dish. As I rushed back to the kitchen, a sudden wave of nausea stopped me._

 _Minori had rushed toward me instantly, telling me that she would help out because I looked like I was going to collapse any minute._

 __

 _I couldn't let a customer do my work; it was my restaurant and therefore my responsibility after all._

 __

 _However, when another customer came in, I couldn't refuse Minori's help._

 __

 _She took the front of the house, and then we were off!_

 __

 _I wouldn't have made it to closing time without her._

 __

 _As I was expressing my gratitude, an extreme wave of nausea and a killer headache set in, and I fainted._

 __

 _I'm not sure how she did it, but when I woke up I was in my bed. I still felt pretty sick, but waking up to see her anxiously pacing around my room made me feel very strange (and it wasn't because of the sickness!)._

 __

 _Her eyes lit up when she saw me awake._

 __

 _"Raeger, you're awake! How are you feeling?"_

 __

 _"Better...Minori, did you stay here the entire time?"_

 _She just nodded._

 _I couldn't believe that I had been graced with such an angel in my life._

 _Words couldn't describe my feelings at that moment, and I thanked her once more._

 _She told me it was no problem and that it was worth it if I was feeling better._

 _I decided to open up and tell her about how it'd been a long time since anyone had waited at my bedside; my parents divorced when I was small, and so I came here to live with my mother and grandfather. They were always working, so I didn't even bother telling them I was sick._

 _"It's a nice feeling, knowing someone cares enough to stay by your side when you're sick." I told her. "Sorry for dumping all that personal stuff on you...it seems that being sick has made my tongue looser as well."_

 __

 _She smiled her heavenly smile and told me it wasn't an issue at all._

 __

 _"I'll repay you sometime, Minori, I swear!"_

 __

 _"You already have, Raeger, being such a great presence in my life."_

 _Holy moly ravioli. This girl was going to make my heart explode. I wondered if she was feeling the same as I was..._

 _I decided to take a risk._

 _"Say, Minori. Since I've already bugged you so much as it is, can I ask one more little favor?"_

 _"Sure thing!"_

 _"Could you, um...stay here with me a little longer?" I ran my hand through my hair, like I tend to do when I'm embarrassed or nervous or both. I was positive I was blushing like crazy. "I, uh...I'm not feeling 100% just yet. I want to rest a little more before I start getting ready for tomorrow. If you could stay just that long, I'd be really appreciative."_

 _Her cheeks are rosy and she smiles shyly._

 _"Of course, Raeger."_

 _"Thanks, Minori."_

 _She tells me I should sleep earlier tonight if I want to have a good rest, so she hums a lullaby she learned from her mother when she was a child. I'm sleeping in a matter of minutes, and when I wake up the next morning, I feel more refreshed than ever._

 _She leaves on vacation a couple weeks later._

-

 **Howdy, y'all!**

 **Another update, yay! I think I finally have some sort of idea where this story is going, though I'm not sure yet :)**

 **(Spoiler Alert: Minori ends up with Won!) - just kidding, if you haven't noticed already I'm not the biggest fan of Won :P**

 **Thanks so much, umbreonix! Your kind words made my day :)**

 **Next chapter will involve a new Harvest Moon game (yay)!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	5. Sunshine Islands and Klaus the Mentor

_CHAPTER FIVE: Sunshine Islands and Klaus the Mentor_

 __"Excuse me, Miss. We've arrived at the destination." The captain of the small boat shakes Minori awake.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Let me go get my bags." Minori rubs her eyes awake and retrieves her luggage.

She thanks the captain, and heaves her luggage off the boat.

She steps down onto the dock and looks around.

She can't see Chelsea anywhere...that girl has a habit of being late.

Finally, she sees a familiar red bandana running down to the beach, and Minori drops her bags to hug her dear friend.

"Minoriiiiiiiiii!" Chelsea picks her up and spins her in the air, despite being much shorter.

"Chelseaaaaaa!" Minori replies with a laugh as her feet reconnect with the ground.

"How was the trip from Mineral Town? How are Claire and Gray doing? Tell me everythinggggg! "

"The boat trip was fine, I'm just a little tired is all...hey, wait—how'd you know that Claire and Gray were married?"

"They visited Sunshine Islands a while back, and I finally got Claire's new phone number! Did she threaten to hunt you down if you didn't call?"

"You know the answer to that, Chels."

"Heh, that's our girl Claire for ya! I've missed you so much, Minori! I know we talk over the phone, but still...you can't expect me to not want to see you after all these years! You've gotten taller, haven't you?"

"I don't think so...maybe you've just gotten shorter!"

"Wah! Always teasing me about my height! Not everyone can be tall like you!" Chelsea makes a pouty-face. "You're so mean, Minori! I guess I can't take you to my house because you're so mean!"

Minori rolls her eyes and mutters an apology.

"What was that, Minori the Meanie?" Chelsea asks, but is quick to forgive the blonde, and picks up one of her bags as she smiles. "I've got so many fun things planned! Let's head to my place and drop off all your stuff!"

A lovely breeze compliments the summer air, and the walk to Verdure Island is pleasant; the wind appears to play a lighthearted melody that the grass dances to.

Minori loves the change in environment. It's relaxing to visit her best friends (who also happen to be farmers, though that's another story) and to visit the towns that she's not as familiar with. It's nice to get away from everything sometimes.

It's stunningly beautiful to see the ocean and smaller islands from where they walk now, though Mineral Town has that essence of a quaint little mountain village that Minori loves.

Chelsea's ranch island is in sight, and pretty soon they've reached her house. The interior walls are a cozy shade of blue, and overall the house is rather spacious and smells slightly of hay.

"Well, how do you like it? You'll be sleepin' here on this fancy new bed I bought."

"You bought a new bed just for me? That's so nice of y—"

"Well actually, this bed isn't solely for your use, Min..."

Minori takes a couple of moments to comprehend what Chelsea has said.

"Ho ho, I think I see what your intentions are!" Minori grins, "You're going to have sleepovers with all your friends!"

Chelsea rubs the back of her neck awkwardly. "Heh...not quite, Min. Guess again!"

 _What else would a bed be used for other than sleepovers with your friends?_

It finally hits her.

"Oh, whoops!" Minori gives an embarrassed laugh. "Congratulations, Chelsea! Hehe...Now tell me how you plan to propose!"

"It won't be for a while, Minori. I just got the bed early because it was on sale!"

"…"

"I just love those great bargains, y'know. It was an offer I couldn't refuse...Now, then! Let me tell you about what Vaughn and I have planned! For today, we'll just head to the diner and catch up on everything that's happened. Tomorrow's the Fireworks Festival, so we'll all head to that together! The days after that will be used for sight seeing and just having fun, and you'll decide what we do!"

"That sounds fantastic, Chelsea! I am feeling kind of hungry, now that you mention the diner..."  
-

Raeger's POV

 _This is day one of hiding from Klaus...he now knows of my feelings for Minori and is going to do everything in his power to get us together. Apparently he considers himself the "Master of Love," which is weirding me out – I don't even know if he's ever been in a relationship. Currently I am hiding in the pantry to prevent Klaus from finding me. It's been a really long time. My legs hurt._

"...Raeger, why are you in the closet?"

 _Shoot. It's Klaus._

"Heh...no reason...just, uh, picking what pasta I'm going to use today, heh!"

"...okay. Anyway, get dressed! There is someone I would like you to meet!"

 _This is Raeger, signing off for the last time. This is not going to end well. I repeat, this is not going to end well._

I come back downstairs wearing a pair of black jeans, a black and white t-shirt, and a red flannel shirt on top of that. Klaus looks me up and down and raises an eyebrow.

"Is everything in your closet red, white, and black?"

I don't respond, since I think he knows the answer to that question. I can't help it that those are the colors I look good in...

He walks out of the restaurant, and I follow. The air is nice and cool today.

"Raeger, I am going to train you to be the best gentleman possible! After you've gone through my rigorous training program, you'll be irresistible!"

I facepalm. I mean, it's not exactly like I have much trouble with the ladies. It's actually only one lady in particular that has made me feel this way...

Klaus pulls out his cellphone and taps the screen a few times, and I cringe once I hear what he plays. "I'll Make a Man Out of You" was not what I needed right now. Especially watching Klaus stand tall yet turn pink while playing it.

"It was Iris' idea..." Klaus mumbles. "Anyhow, dear Raeger, it's time to begin! Lesson One: dress the part, and play the part! What you're wearing right now is much too casual to impress the fine ladies of this town. It's time to upgrade your wardrobe! To my house we go!"

Within half an hour, Raeger finds himself wearing one of Klaus' typical outfits, only in a red-brown shade like what he's used to wearing. It's uncomfortable around the neck area, and Raeger feels like it's not really him, but maybe he can try to get used to it. He has to admit it gives him a classy look, though his ruffled bed-and-hiding-in-closet-head detracts from this particular style. From the corner of his eye, Raeger sees Klaus approaching with a comb, and he slowly inches away with his hands up. Raeger will not let ANYONE style his hair, especially Klaus...

Another half an hour later, Raeger is scowling at his reflection in the mirror.

"I look like a dork." He states bluntly.

"Actually, Raeger, you look a bit like Mistel."

"That's exactly what I just said." Raeger mumbles, though shudders at the thought of wearing Mistel's outfit. Shorts and a vest? Blech.

"Now then, Raeger, it's time to test your skills to the max! We're heading to the city to try something super popular – speed dating! "

Raeger groans. There's no getting out of this, is there?

Minori's speaking to Denny, Julia, and Elliot at the moment, and Chelsea looks toward Vaughn with a smile.

"She seems happy," says Chelsea as she twirls a strand of her silky brown hair around her finger.

Vaughn observes Chelsea from under his hat, steely eyes growing softer by the second. All Chelsea has talked about for the past couple of weeks is Minori's arrival, and now that she's finally here Vaughn can sense how content Chelsea must be.

"I don't know – she looks tired more than anything else right now."

Chelsea hums in agreement and takes Vaughn's gloved hand into her own, giving it a light squeeze. A goofy smile appears on her face, and Vaughn raises and eyebrow and tries his best not to blush.

Clearing his throat, he manages to ask her what's up. Chelsea's smile widens even further and she says "Nothin''" with a teasing tone of voice.

 _Uh-oh. Somethin's up. Whenever Chelsea gets this way, she's going to do something mischievious._

"Alright, Chels...what are you goin' to do?"

"I have an idea!" she says, her cobalt eyes twinkling. She leans closer toward Vaughn and whispers into his ear.

The fireworks festival is going to be _very_ fun.

"Hello, Raeger."

Klaus finally dragged Raeger to the city (though not without severe struggles). They're at some fancy, overpriced café right next to where Klaus' perfumery is. Raeger is sitting across from a young woman with long blond hair and mysterious blue eyes, and he's feeling pretty gosh darn uncomfortable right now.

Especially because the girl he's looking at is one of his ex-girlfriends.

 **Hi, everyone!**

 **I'm soooo sorry for the long delay in updating ;-; but the start of another school year has got me dead x_x**  
 **I'll be trying to post more frequently with the upcoming vacations and whatnot...**

 **Anyway, new developments in this chapter! Welcome to Sunshine Islands :P Also, Klaus playing I'll Make A Man Out of You...I'm sorry. I just had to.**

 **Oh boy, Raeger meets his ex-girlfriend - it's time for some drama! Will Minori ever find out? (I dunno.)**

 **Thanks so so much for reading, guys!**

 _[Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon or any of the Disney songs that I may have mentioned earlier. ]_


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